Guests commented on community support and local government leadership, successfully attracting residential and commercial development - hotels, healthcare facilities, retail, multifamily residential - in Westchester: New Rochelle, Yonkers, Harrison, Rye.

Guests discussed the kinds of deals and areas of commercial real estate development, that they - as alternative lenders - are interested in doing business: condo construction, retail, hospitality, transitional space, co-living projects.

As defined and illustrated by guests - PropTech or Property Technology, while it represents many broad categories, is the use of information technology (IT) in automating many functions of the real estate industry.

Michael Stoler talks with guests: an attorney, an investor and a "cautious" accountant about nationwide, Opportunity Zone investments, discussing the pros and cons of OZ investing: taxes, appreciation, return on investment, liquidity and more.

Not having a crystal ball to predict dips in this market, panelists name new products and dynamic companies as drivers of New York's commercial real estate market. Panelists foresee negative results from the Housing Legislation Act of 2019, saying it will do the opposite of what was intended.

Citing the high costs of food, labor, rent, panelists agreed: "You gotta be crazy to be in the restaurant business," especially in New York!! Doing business in New York is tough. Panelists urged government leaders to appreciate the importance of restaurants to the tourist industry, and to New York's economy.

Located on the Brooklyn waterfront, a complex of 16 buildings-six million square feet of "cool" space housing innovative start-ups, the food industry, candle makers, wood workers, designers. Industry City is a destination - a place to be!

The Four under Forty panelists urged caution, citing recent legislation that has affected the number of transactions; retail may have stabilized but only in some areas, it's still a tough market. The Bronx: access to Manhattan, transportation, industry, revitalization - good news!

Brooklyn, traditionally considered a back-office for Manhattan companies, is getting closer to becoming the main office for important businesses. Retail is affected by the borough's walkability, proving brick and mortar retail is not dead. Discussion included the future of Coney Island, Red Hook, East New York.

Affordable housing programs often include partnerships between developers and not-for-profit organizations, combining the developers' long experience with affordable housing and the not-for-profits' deep roots in a community.